Violin Sonata No. 2 by Ferruccio Busoni: Architectonics and Stylistic Concept

Section 1. Modern Revisions of Musical and Historical Heritage

Abstract

Statement of the problem. The chamber-instrumental legacy by Ferruccio Busoni remains insufficiently explored, particularly in Eastern European scholarship. Despite Busoni’s status as a major pianist, theorist, and composer, his Violin Sonata No. 2 in E minor, op. 36a has received limited analytical attention and rarely appears at concert stages. This gap leaves unaddressed the work’s structural innovations, its rich intertextual dialogue with Bach, Beethoven, and Liszt, and its pivotal role in the evolution of Busoni’s aesthetic thought. As the Sonata marks a transition from late-romantic idioms toward the composer’s mature concept of “Jungklassizität” (“young classicism”), a scholarly re-evaluation becomes essential for both, musicology and performance studies. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The study aims to outline the architectural and dramaturgical design of Busoni’s Sonata No. 2; identify its principal stylistic influences and mechanisms of thematic transformation; and determine the sonata’s position within the composer’s aesthetic development and chamber-music output. As methodological instruments, he article employs structural analysis, intertextual analysis, hermeneutic interpretation of symbolic and philosophical layers, and historical-contextual approaches. The novelty of the research lies in integrating these methods to demonstrate how Busoni synthesizes polyphonic rigor, cyclic unity, and expressive intonation transformation into a coherent artistic system of the work.

Research results. The article demonstrates that Busoni’s Violin Sonata No. 2 represents a decisive stylistic turning point. The three “attacca”-connected movements form a unified cyclic structure built on recurring motives and inter-textual references. The first movement combines elements of sonata form and fantasia with flexible thematic development. The second movement possesses the features of a scherzo-like tarantella, whose music material contents links with the opening movement. The finale, centered on the chorale used by Bach, “Wie wohl ist mir, o Freund der Seelen,” presents a sequence of variations and a fugue, serving as the conceptual core of the cycle. Overall, the Sonata demonstrates a synthesis of Bachian counterpoint, Beethovenian cyclic thinking, and Lisztian transformation techniques, while offering significant interpretive demands for performers.

Conclusion. The study confirms that Busoni’s Violin Sonata No. 2 marks a key stage in his transition toward a mature personal aesthetic. The work demonstrates the components of polyphonic style within a cyclic form united by thematic transformations, creating a coherent stylistic synthesis rooted in Bach’s, Beethoven’s, and Liszt’s music. Despite its limited presence in concert repertoire, the Sonata holds strong interpretive and pedagogical potential and merits broader recognition within contemporary chamber performance practice.